Open Bionics to bring 'Deus Ex' inspired augmentations to life

Open Bionics - the multi award-winning robotics start-up, - Eidos®-Montréal - the award-winning video game studio that is the home of the Deus Ex® franchise - and Razer - a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers - have announced a partnership that will see them working together to bring Deus Ex inspired bionic augmentations to life.

The three companies will work together to help bridge the gap between fiction and reality, designing, 3D printing, scanning, powering, and creating affordable bionic hands. This “Augmented Future” initiative will combine the expertise of each company, with the ultimate goal being to make fashionable robotic prosthesis accessible to a larger audience.

The Deus Ex Universe® depicts a near future where human beings are equipped with prosthetics that give them enhanced capabilities. Although being a fantasy world, the Deus Ex Universe is recognized for being at the forefront of the discussions on transhumanism and bionic augmentations.

Eidos-Montréal's team of artists are striving to create state of the art designs inspired by this universe and the characters within it. Adam Jensen, the main protagonist in the series, was a particular source of inspiration when creating the designs for both 'The Titan Arm' and 'The Adam Arm' prostheses. These, and other prostheses, will soon be available for everyone, from adults to kids of all ages, with models being created for both boys and girls.

Eidos-Montréal and Open Bionics are providing these blueprints and designs royalty free, granting anyone the ability to access and use them whenever they wish.

Open Bionics, based at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory - a collaborative partnership between the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and the University of Bristol - will devote its team of experts to bring these models to life, using the latest technology in 3D printing to create unique prostheses.

Joel Gibbard, Founder and CEO or Open Bionics, says, "Working with Deus Ex to re-imagine the future of bionic prosthetics has been a fantastic creative process. It is has been made even better by seeing people wear the bionic arms and get so much enjoyment out of it. This collaboration goes to show how bright the future of bionics is. We feel lucky to have been able to work with the design team at Deus Ex. They've been incredibly generous with their time and ideas throughout this project. We're excited to see this relationship continue to grow."

Samantha Payne, Co-Founder of Open Bionics, says, “This collaboration has really got people talking about the desirability of these devices. Before this partnership, it was extremely rare to hear someone with two arms say 'I wish I had a prosthesis'. Our aim is to offer amputees something they'll enjoy wearing and I think we've achieved that with Deus Ex."

The Razer “Stargazer” camera and a motion tracking technology will help to bring this bionic arm initiative to a virtual setting, allowing people to digitally 'try on' the arm at events, effectively enabling a real-time demonstration of how the arm would look and move if it they were actually using it.

Min-Liang Tan, Co-Founder and CEO of Razer, says, “We're excited to contribute to this incredible partnership with the Razer Stargazer. As the world's most advanced webcam, it is a precise hand tracking solution that allows everyone to experience first-hand the future of augmentations,” said Razer.

Ahead of the prostheses general release in 2017, the bionic arms will be available for viewing at multiple events, including E3 and Gamescom. For more information please visit www.augmentedfuture.com